1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mass-marketed computer systems, and in particular to a computer that configures system files upon startup to conform to custom sets of software and hardware features.
2. Description of the Related Art
Small desktop and laptop computer systems sold to consumers generally include basic system hardware (a central-processing unit, or CPU; a standard allocation of random-access memory, or RAM; a display monitor; a hard-disk drive and a floppy-disk drive) and software (usually an operating system that may include a graphical user interface). However, depending on the customer's preferences, manufacturers may expand this basic package into a customized, user-defined system that includes additional items of hardware and software. For example, the customer may request a printer, special sound and video boards and a CD-ROM drive to support multimedia applications, additional memory, a larger or additional disk drive, etc. By providing these items with the delivered system, the manufacturer spares the customer the need to purchase and install these items separately.
Unfortunately, the customer's convenience can prove the manufacturer's bane. Each additional item, even routine hardware such as a disk drive, ordinarily requires reconfiguration of the basic system software. Devices such as mouse-pointers and special video hardware can require installation of separate software modules. Indeed, even standard software may be provided in multiple versions having different levels of capability, only one of which is to be made available to the user. If the custom system is to be shipped in a ready-to-use form, these installations and reconfigurations must ordinarily take place at the factory, requiring power-up and manual operation of the system. This process is both time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Hardware manufacturers also frequently "bundle" software produced by third parties with their systems. Such software may be capable of functioning on a variety of hardware platforms, e.g., by featuring a series of on-board software "drivers" or other interfaces; it is up to the user or the hardware vendor to select and install the appropriate driver. Similarly, the hardware manufacturer may itself produce a generic software version that may be configured to operate on any of a number of machines it sells. Once again, if the customer is to receive a ready-to-use system, the generic software must be manually loaded and adapted to the purchased system.